Becoming President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is not a matter of winning a nationwide public election or securing the support of Ghana’s footballers. The president is elected by the GFA Congress, the association’s supreme decision-making body.
Following an amendment to the GFA’s statutes in 2025, Congress now has 124 delegates, up from the previous 120. These delegates represent various sectors of Ghanaian football and collectively determine who leads the association.
Who votes in the GFA presidential election?
The 124-member Congress is made up of representatives from across the football ecosystem.
They include:
- 18 Ghana Premier League clubs, with each club having one vote.
- 48 Division One League clubs, representing the second tier of Ghanaian club football.
- 10 Regional Football Associations (RFAs), represented by their chairmen and vice chairmen.
- Women’s Premier League clubs.
- Representatives of referees, coaches, Colts football and other constituent bodies.
Together, these representatives constitute the Congress that elects the GFA president.
What does a presidential candidate need to win?
A candidate does not need to secure votes from the general public or from Ghana’s footballers.
Instead, the candidate must obtain at least 50% plus one of the votes cast at the Congress election.
This makes relationships with the various constituent bodies of Ghanaian football particularly important to anyone seeking the presidency, as those bodies ultimately provide the votes that determine the outcome.
What happened at the last election?
At the 2023 GFA presidential election in Tamale, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku secured 117 of the 120 available votes.
His only declared challenger, George Afriyie, had been disqualified from contesting the election, leaving Okraku as the sole candidate.
Okraku therefore retained the presidency after receiving overwhelming support from Congress.
When is the next election?
The next GFA presidential election is scheduled for 2027.
A significant change to the rules ahead of that election is the amendment allowing a GFA president to serve up to three terms.
The amendment was approved by Congress, with 114 of the 124 delegates voting in favour.
The change potentially alters the length of time a successful candidate can remain in office, subject to the applicable electoral and statutory requirements.
So, what is the route to the GFA presidency?
At its simplest, the process is:
Meet the applicable eligibility and nomination requirements → secure nomination to contest → campaign among the GFA’s constituent bodies and Congress delegates → win at least 50% plus one of the votes cast.
The key distinction is that GFA elections are representative elections. Ghana’s football fans, the general public and professional players do not directly elect the president. The decision rests with the delegates who make up Congress.
With the next election due in 2027, prospective candidates will therefore need to navigate the GFA’s formal nomination process and build sufficient support across the various constituencies represented in Congress.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
